How to Survive Against Villains Chapter 177

Chapter 177 - Escape (4)

"This worthless..."

As a pile of fallen trees blocked the path, Rengua waved his staff.

A mont later, figures clad in blood-red armor stepped forward, drawing the weapons strapped to their backs.

They were all heavy weapons—massive axes, hamrs, and halberds.

KWAJAK! KWAJAAAK—!

The knights rcilessly hacked through the obstructing trees. Their movents were sowhat awkward, like clothes that didn’t quite fit, but they compensated for their lack of finesse with brute strength.

It didn’t take long to clear the path.

The knights resud walking down the now-opened road.

The path ahead was a ss, littered with broken tree debris.

As so of them stepped past the wreckage, a dagger was thrown from the trees above.

KWAJAK—

The mont the dagger lodged itself into the debris, a crimson glow exploded outward.

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAAANG—!!!

A chain reaction of explosions.

The detonation of the clown daggers caused the ground to collapse.

So of the knights were caught in the blast and sent flying, while the path was swallowed in pitch-black dust.

Under the cover of darkness and dust, where visibility was poor, Karl made his second move.

"UAAAAAAAH!!!?"

Karl let out a battle cry and, along with his group, charged toward the right side of the carriage.

There were only three of them.

But they were powerful warriors—ranked 4-star and 3-star. The mont Karl's group unleashed their fierce aura, the shamans reacted swiftly, forming defensive stances.

At the very instant when all eyes were on Karl—

A shaman positioned at the rear urgently shouted.

"Behind! Behind!!!"

"Block it!!!"

From the opposite side, the left forest, a massive arrow suddenly shot out, aiming directly for the carriage.

The shielders rushed to intercept, raising their shields in haste, but only one managed to successfully block it.

KWAJAK—

"GGUAAAAAGH!"

The shielder’s arm was severed along with the shield, and the arrow slamd directly into the carriage at an angle.

UJIKEUN—

A gaping hole was torn through the carriage, causing it to sink downward—the wheel was cleanly pierced.

TUTUTUTUNG!

From the Blood-Drinking Chalice, five crimson arrows were fired once more toward the ruined carriage.

KWAANG! KWAKWAKWAKWAAANG—!

A barrage of explosive arrows detonated around the carriage.

I sprinted forward, drawing my bow in rapid succession, unleashing a continuous hail of small explosions that battered the carriage.

The carriage was utterly destroyed, leaving nothing recognizable.

Monts later, through the thick dust, a faint red barrier shimred. I clicked my tongue and took a step back.

Rengua had already moved to protect Kal, his staff extended.

There was a flicker of bewildernt in his eyes, and I soon understood why.

A familiar voice ca from behind.

Through the sinister barrier, dry, lifeless eyes stared at .

Kal Blazer.

Blood stained his face.

Kal wiped the cut on his cheek and smirked before speaking, his gaze locked onto .

“To think I’d be wounded by an assassin who once groveled before ... How amusing.”

“I don’t find it funny. You son of a bitch.”

I was just as surprised as he was that he had taken a hit.

I had assud destroying the carriage was the best I could do.

My eyes quickly scanned Kal’s surroundings.

I had to check his Divine Na list whenever the opportunity arose.

That was why I had risked exposing myself and closing the distance—but I still couldn’t read his Divine Na glyphs.

Why?

I checked the people inside the carriage.

Kal was at the front.

And in the back...

"Arcane?"

A white-haired man with an amicable appearance was fiddling with his earring while staring at .

Arcane, the Prophet of Fate.

A completely unexpected figure was inside the carriage.

Why was Arcane traveling with Kal in the middle of a battlefield?

It seed like Arcane was interfering with my abilities. After all, he knew more about Divine Nas than anyone else.

Behind Arcane, a knight wearing a helt stood protectively, as if acting as a bodyguard.

There weren’t just two people in the carriage—there were three.

The mont I scrutinized the knight, thinking it was Wiley, I froze.

There was no Aura, no Divine Na glyphs.

My chest tightened.

He wasn’t the owner of a Divine Na.

That knight wasn’t Wiley.

Could it be that Kal was injured because…

My thoughts were interrupted—

[An unusual energy has been detected.]

At Reto’s warning, my mind imdiately jumped to Arcane’s earring. I quickly shut down my consciousness.

It was a defensive action to block Divine Na interference—knowledge I had learned from Nella and confird with Lily.

Arcane narrowed his eyes, stroking his chin as he watched .

Had he managed to check my Divine Na list?

Lily had told that my information was impossible to see without my permission.

‘What’s his ga…?’

I blocked my Divine Na information and ran my fingers through my hair twice—a signal to Karl.

No questions asked, retreat to the mines.

Wiley, who I had expected to be at Kal’s side, was missing.

A 5-star knight’s location was completely unaccounted for.

That was why I had sent Karl’s group back to the mines.

Karl and his team swiftly vanished into hiding, but now that I was alone, the pressure was suffocating.

‘This is... rough.’

SWOOSH!

"......!"

Crimson tendrils shot out in all directions, ensnaring . It was an ambush from the shamans, taking the initiative.

But the mont I unleashed a golden sigil, the tendrils withered, and the shamans coughed up blood, collapsing.

However, the golden glow was blocked before it could reach Rengua’s staff.

A Master really was different.

"I should have crushed your skull back then."

"Getting senile? You were too scared to even try, old man."

"This bastard... I’ll tear you to pieces."

Rengua ground his teeth and swung his staff.

That staff was really starting to piss off.

The blood-red knights were quickly closing in, moving to encircle .

FLASH—

When I released another golden burst, they flinched and backed away instinctively.

But as if by so cruel joke, the golden light began to shrink.

I turned to Rengua.

He was suppressing my glyphs.

Struggling to hold my ground, I slowly retreated.

If I got completely surrounded, it was over.

The only fortunate thing was that, if I tried to escape at full speed, the only one fast enough to catch was Rengua.

And I was confident in handling him.

Our powers were polar opposites, making it possible for to resist his suppression.

I turned toward the forest and started withdrawing, but suddenly, the oppressive force vanished, and the knights' encirclent loosened.

What the hell?

Just as I questioned my enemy’s intent—

“Alex Marcia.”

“...??”

“I have a proposal for you.”

Kal called out to .

He wanted to talk? In this situation?

At the sa ti, strange creatures floated into the air.

Flap, flap, flap—

The shamans released winged monsters, about the size of a fist, with snout-like structures.

Sllows.

They were tracking monsters that followed specific scents, commonly used to locate traces of witches.

These Sllows were searching to see if Lily was nearby.

“Releasing scent trackers? Paranoid, aren’t you?”

“That’s quite the dismissive remark about Lily Base. Since when did you know her?”

“…Is she also part of the Hunt?”

Seeing Kal deliberately dragging things out with questions, I let out a bitter smile.

Damn it. I got baited.

Kal had no idea about my abilities related to Divine Nas.

He didn’t know that I had identified Wiley’s presence or that I was aware he wasn’t here.

It was sothing only I could infer because I knew the story.

In other words, Wiley was Kal’s hidden card.

"Wiley is the real threat."

He had just played his hidden card.

Drawing attention to himself as bait, then striking the enemy’s heart with his concealed weapon.

If it weren’t for , no one would have realized it.

What a terrifying bastard.

Now I was certain—if I fought him without any information, I would lose without question.

Should I rush to the mine imdiately?

After a brief mont of deliberation, I stopped in place and faced Kal directly.

I had no choice but to trust Lochter.

The only one who could stop Wiley.

Leaving Lochter at the entrance had been a stroke of genius.

If anyone could hold Wiley back, it was him.

The problem was how long he could last.

Lochter was already in poor condition from his battle with Lyon.

If Wiley was at full strength, he wouldn’t be able to endure for long.

Lochter had the magic sword Vega and a shield ring, but all I could do was pray that he lasted until Karl’s group arrived.

In the end, ti was the most crucial factor.

I couldn’t make any rash moves right now.

I looked up at the night sky.

Judging by the waning moon, I roughly calculated the ti.

The agreed-upon mont hadn’t arrived yet.

If I acted prematurely, Kal would imdiately react and adjust his strategy.

Dragging him to the mine now would be the worst possible timing.

“A proposal?”

I smirked. “Sounds interesting. Let’s hear it.”

I never thought I’d have ti to chat with this butcher.

But just like Kal, I also needed ti.

At my response, Kal bared his teeth in a savage grin.

“You think things are going your way?”

It was a situation of different dreams in the sa bed.

***

“How many are left?”

“About 300 now.”

At Lochter’s question, Heinz, who was monitoring the situation at the entrance, reported back.

The passage was narrow, but they had been sending people through in an orderly manner, and now, only a few remained.

Since it was ti for the key figures to start moving through the passage, Heinz had co out to the entrance.

Beyond the tunnel, the one leading the group was the young man whom Lochter himself addressed as Commander.

A man with fierce eyes, leaving a strong impression.

Without him, all their efforts so far would have been for nothing.

Heinz didn’t know his na, so he simply referred to him as "that man."

“…And him?”

“He’ll be here soon. The people on the other side are anxious, so you should cross over quickly, too.”

“I will move with you, Sir Lochter—”

At that mont, Lochter grabbed Heinz’s shoulder and yanked him back.

Lochter drew his magic sword, Bega, pointed it forward, and shouted with a firm expression.

“Get the remaining people through imdiately! And you, cross over now!”

“B-But, Sir Lochter!”

“Hurry!!”

Lochter’s urgent command made Heinz feel an ominous foreboding. He imdiately ran inside the mine.

Around the entrance, shadows stretched from the dense forest.

Lochter felt the chilling wind.

Monts later, from the depths of the darkness, a lone figure slowly erged.

A familiar face.

Lochter let out a low groan.

The last person he wanted to fight here.

Wiley Gris.

They had never been particularly close, but they were once rivals, always aware of each other.

Lochter quietly called his na, but Wiley’s face remained blank, devoid of emotion—like a lifeless puppet.

Without a word, he drew his sword and summoned his Aura Blade.

No murderous intent, no emotion—only the pure chanical efficiency of a man who had been programd to kill the enemy before him.

Seeing Wiley like that, a fleeting sadness passed through Lochter’s eyes.

“…You’re already dead.”

The blade of Bega glead as Lochter’s energy surged like a brief inferno.

He took a stance, Aura Blade poised, as he analyzed Wiley’s movents.

In one hand, Wiley held a sword.

In the other, a small, white sphere.

Lochter suddenly recalled a na Arthur had once ntioned.

"Theramore, the Death Flash."

Lochter’s face twisted into a grimace.

If that thing detonated inside the mine…

His grip on the sword tightened involuntarily.

Losing was not an option.

Lochter aid his blade at Wiley’s heart.

“…Rest in peace.”

Clenching his teeth, Lochter swung his sword.